The Dark Kingdom (Sage Trilogy, Book 2)
Page 24
“No,” Kyran muttered weakly as he fought against the King. “Please.”
“Shut up,” the King snapped as Kyran’s eyes turned desperately to James.
“Please,” he said with wide eyes as James took a deep breath. He held up both his hands and concentrated.
“Are you there?” James pleaded from within.” I need you.”
But there was no reply.
Still, one eidolon was better than nothing.
James unleashed his white eidolon and charged the King who simply reached forward and grabbed his eidolon with his free hand, clenching it and using all his might to try to crush it. James fought against the grip, gritting his teeth as he leaned forward, even as tiny cracks begin to appear. He refused to back off…
And it wasn’t even that he liked Kyran.
That wasn’t it at all.
It was because he realized, in the one word Kyran uttered, just how much he loved Chloe.
And James figured that if was in the same predicament…if Catherine was fighting for her life and needed help…he hoped someone would intervene on his behalf…
James screamed as his eidolon reached its breaking point, cracks beginning to appear all over its surface. Catherine dove to help but Dominic intercepted, grabbing her armor and keeping her at bay. She started calling for the power of the stone to help but she wasn’t sure if she could summon it in time.
Kyran yelled and fought against the King. James screamed to cut through the Quietus and Catherine pleaded for Dominic to let her go…
And then it was all drowned out by the explosion.
A beam of light, as big as the crater itself, engulfed it in its radiance. It blinded them all as the King let go of James’ eidolon to cover his sensitive eyes. Kyran slipped out the King’s grasp and stabbed him again in the chest, even if he knew it wouldn’t kill him. James staggered back and sheathed his cracked white eidolon…for he heard another.
“I’m here.” It said. “But next time…I want a favor from you…”
The black eidolon erupted from his chest amidst the blinding light, and he was able to see the King clearly, begging for the lightshow to stop. James shouted and lunged forward, pushing Kyran out the way and then swiping at the King with all he had, from head to toe.
The King disintegrated on impact, and all that was left was the stone.
James grabbed it and held it tight as he kept his black eidolon out.
The light faded…
And the crater was completely empty. Every trace of Chloe or the Quietus warriors gone.
“No…”Catherine sobbed as she pushed Dominic away from her. “CHLOE!!!”
There was no answer as the crater sunk even further, cracking and steaming from Allay’s most powerful Sage’s last attack. The Quietus on the bleachers were dumbstruck at not only seeing so many warriors defeated, but their King disappearing too. They rioted from the bleachers.
“Kyran!” James shouted at the frozen warrior. “KYRAN!”
Kyran barely came out of his daze, looking at James slowly with glazed over eyes. James reached out, took his hand and placed the stone in it.
“You’re the only one that can hide better than any of us,” James explained as the roaring mob got closer. “You have to go!”
Kyran cast his eyes at the stone and James slapped him awake.
“YOU HAVE TO GO!” James shouted. “Get it out of here! We’ll protect Catherine!”
Kyran reluctantly backed away as he continued to stare at the crater where his beloved had just died. Shimmering out of view, James hoped he was able to carry out his orders.
“Let’s go!” James shouted to Dominic. “Grab her!”
Dominic threw the paralyzed Catherine over his shoulder and they looked behind the King’s throne to what lay below. There was a Quietus forest to land into but still…it was a steep drop.
“It’s all we’ve got,” James said as Dominic nodded. Dominic went to leap over the edge but just as he jumped off, a Quietus caught up to them and snatched Catherine from his arms. Dominic looked back in horror as he continued to drop, calling out for Catherine. James sliced down the Quietus as more arrived and tossed Catherine between themselves. They picked her up, now kicking and screaming, and threw her back towards the crater, goading James to an open field, where they could rip him apart.
It worked.
“DOMINIC!” James yelled as he sliced his way to Catherine. “GO WITH KYRAN! COMPLETE THE MISSION!”
With his final words ringing through the air, James sliced his way through the Quietus citizens, faster and faster as the Quietus eidolon gave him a steel resolve and cold nerves. He wasn’t afraid, despite what happened to Achan…to Chloe. He just had to get to Catherine…
Overwhelmed with the numbers, James punched a Quietus in the face, sending him spiraling in a circle. James leaped up on his back as turned and then leapt even further in the air, over the crowd of Quietus and towards the Crater where Catherine had been thrown into. As he fell, he saw her rise to her feet and begin to activate the stone’s power. James landed hard on his feet a couple yards away, but he fought the tingling sensation shooting up his legs and kept running. It wasn’t until he grabbed her tight and held her close that he breathed…
And they were standing on the dock.
The sunset behind them descending far slower than it ever had before.
“WHEW!” James sighed as he let go of her. Catherine glanced around in confusion and then back at him for answers.
“Did we die?” she asked.
“No,” he laughed. “We’re just in my manifestation.”
“We’re still in Quietus?”
“Definitely,” James said. “But they can’t get in…I hope. We should be safe…until this manifestation is over.”
“What happens then?”
“I’m not sure,” James said, going over to sit on the dock and face the sunset. Catherine plopped down beside him.
“I could use the stone to help us escape…but, I know how you hate me even mentioning it.”
“I think if we can,” James said. “It would be better if we stayed put. I can still sense outside this manifestation to some degree. I’ll know when Kyran comes back.”
“What do you mean? Where is he going?”
“As of right now, I don’t know what happened to Arimus and Scarlet. But Kyran and Dominic definitely have two stones in their possession: Languor and Quietus. And Prattle is guaranteed now that we defeated the King of Quietus. All that’s left outside this sanctuary of ours is Zen-echelon. If he’s smart, and I know he is, he’ll go there, hopefully get the stone, and come right back here. Where the last one remains. Mission complete.”
“You make it sound so simple,” Catherine said, staring at the water, calmly rippling beneath their feet. “There’s no guarantee they’ll succeed.”
“Well, we’ll have plenty of quality time together whether they do or not.”
“How long can you hold this? You…never lasted long before.”
“I unleashed my stronger eidolon,” James said, unsure of how to put it without saying the word, Quietus. “It will hold...I’ll explain later, I promise.”
Catherine looked at him with a puzzled look and then faced the sunset.
“How long do we have?” she asked.
“From what I’m reading…” James thought carefully. “Three days. So, Kyran has three days to get back here. Then we’ll reappear in the middle of Quietus, where a very angry mob awaits.”
“Three days of bliss then,” Catherine sighed, trying to smile. “No Kingdom to worry about. No fights. No worries…I haven’t gotten a rest in so long…I won’t know what to do with myself.”
“I’m sure we’ll figure it out,” James smiled at her as he leaned in towards her. Catherine raised her eyebrows and put a finger to his lips.
“Last time I kissed you, this fell apart,” she laughed.
“It’s worth it,” James said and then he kissed her tenderly. Catherine
wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hard. And as the water lapped at their tired feet and the breeze blew through their cuts and bruises, their dirty cheeks and blood stained hands, Catherine realized it was the first time she felt free…
From everything.
Catherine pulled her lips away from James’ and brushed his dirty cheek with her stained hands and laughed.
“What is it?” he asked. She looked up at him steadily and let herself cry for the first time: tears of joy.
“Perfect,” she said.
And she kissed him again.
Epilogue:
“They technically have three out of five stones,” a voice said in the darkness.
“Technically?”
“There were complications with the Allayan one. It’s still in Quietus.”
“Quietus is in turmoil. We can retrieve it easily.”
“You would risk exposing yourself?” the voice in the darkness asked.
A pause.
“Unless you want to get it for yourself.”
“But I’m learning so much from the Prattlians. You know how they talk…”
“Get moving. Time is short.”
“Fine,” the voice in the darkness said. He stood up and brushed off his pants.
“Thank you, Jester.”
“You’re welcome, your Highness,” Jester said. “I did always want to see the Quietus countryside…”
Other works by Julius St. Clair:
The Deadly (Heaven and Hell Trilogy, Book 1)